As a portable video camera there has been proposed one provided with a disc deck. For example, a video camera provided with a disc deck is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-111877.
The portable video camera provided with a disc deck has a construction wherein a housing of a disc deck unit is integral with a side face of a camera unit, the camera unit containing an image pickup unit such as a CCD as an image pick-up device and a circuit board of various circuits. A hand strap is provided on a side face of the disc deck unit, and by grasping the disc deck unit with a hand, it is possible to carry the video camera with one hand. An upper surface of the disc deck unit projects to a greater extent than an upper surface of the camera unit so that fingertips which grasp the disc deck unit are caught on a side of the upper surface of the disc deck unit which side is located on the camera unit side. With this structure, the disc deck unit is made easy to grasp, that is, the video camera is made easy to carry.
On the front side of the camera unit is provided a camera lens unit, while on the rear side thereof is provided a liquid crystal display monitor using a liquid crystal.
In an opposite side face of the camera unit there is formed a receptacle unit for receiving a liquid crystal display monitor unit therein. The liquid crystal display monitor unit is rotatable so that it can open and close the said receptacle unit. Further, the liquid crystal display monitor unit is rotatable about a second rotary shaft perpendicular to a rotary shaft which is for opening and closing the receptacle unit, thereby changing vertically and transversely the direction in which a liquid crystal screen provided in the liquid crystal display monitor unit faces. In the liquid crystal display monitor unit, there are provided not only the same photographed display as in the above liquid crystal display monitor but also reproduction display and menu display in the disc deck unit.
On the back side of the camera unit and that of the disc deck unit there are disposed various operating buttons so as to be operated with the thumb of the hand which carries the video camera.
In the video camera disclosed in the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-111877, the liquid crystal display monitor is disposed on the back side of the camera unit, so when photographing is to be made using this liquid crystal display monitor, it is necessary to put the liquid crystal display monitor in the same position as the position of the photographer's eye. Therefore, the posture of the photographer who carries the video camera is determined to a certain posture unambiguously. When the photographer intends to photograph a place higher than his or her height, the photographer bends his or her neck or body while keeping his or her video camera-carrying posture intact. If such a photographing is performed for a long time, the photographer is compelled to take an unnatural posture over a long time.
Even if the photographer makes photographing in a natural stand-up state while looking at the liquid crystal display monitor, an easy way of carrying the video camera differs depending on the photographer and therefore, in the case where there is only one way of carrying the video camera, it follows that such one way is an unnatural way for certain photographers.